Economics 222: Principles of Economics II (Macroeconomics),

Jacksonville State University / Summer II 2008

Section 01: MTWR 12:30 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. in Merrill 255 

Instructor:  Chris Westley

OFFICE: 112A Merrill Building
OFFICE HOURS: MTW 11:00-12:00 or by appointment
PHONE: 782-5392
EMAIL: cwestley@jsu.edu
CLASS WEB PAGE: http://www.jsu.edu/depart/ccba/cwestley/ec222.html

REQUIRED TEXT: Macroeconomics: Private and Public Choice, 12th ed., by Gwartney, Stroup, Sobel, Macpherson.  New York: the Dryden Press (2005)

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: There will be two one-hour exams during the term and a final exam. The final exam will be comprehensive. Practice questions and other pertinent topics will be posted daily to the class web site.

Grading:

Exam 1

100 points

Exam 2

100 points

Final Exam

150 points

GRADING: Grades will be assigned on the usual 10-point scale (A= 90-100%, B=80-89%, C=70-79%,
D=60-69%, F=0-59%.)

IF YOU MISS A TEST, I require a written excuse three days before or after the exam date. 

Note that all exams will cover assigned chapters, as well as outside materials and examples discussed in class.  Some supplementary readings may be posted to the class web site.

Depending on the size of the class, tests may be graded via Scantron machines.  Therefore, students may be required to purchase Scantron Form 882-E for each test and the final. (You can see a copy of the correct Scantron form at < http://www.scantronforms.com/siteSpecific/products/detail.aspx?scantronProductID=1 >.)

 

PRACTICE PROBLEMS: Students in the past have benefited from working a number of practice problems (in class with a partner or on their own outside of class). Students who (through persistence) catch on to the practice problems tend to do better on exams and exhibit a higher level of understanding in their papers.  These problems can be accessed through the website provided by the publisher of the Gwartney text (at < http://websites.swlearning.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20bI&flag=instructor&product_isbn_issn=9780324580198&disciplinenumber=413 >).


GRADE APPEALS:  I handle grade appeals in only one fashion. Should you be dissatisfied with your grade on any work, do the following:  (1) Write a short description of why you believe you should have received a higher grade. Simply asking for more points (e.g., “I need a C so my GPA doesn’t drop”) is insufficient. If your statement concerns the fairness of the grade, then you must convince me that you were treated unfairly.  (2) Hand in the test or assignment in question along with your written statement no later than the next class period after it was returned to you.

You should not infer that following this process will guarantee a higher grade.

ATTENDANCE:  Attendance is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged, as the material is cumulative in nature. This means that if a student misses some lectures, she or he will not be able to make sense out of subsequent lectures. Attendance will be taken on most days. Test questions will be drawn from class notes, text, and readings, so no one should rely entirely upon a single source. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to get the notes from another student; I do not give out my notes.

 

Academic Integrity It shouldn’t need to be stated that cheating will not be tolerated. Cheating is dishonest and diminishes the value of a JSU degree to your classmates and all those who have gone before you. Jacksonville State University expects students to pursue their academic work with honesty and integrity. The Academic Honesty Policy of the University, which is listed in the JSU Student Handbook, will be followed in this course. Any violation is grounds for an "F" in this course.

Educational Accommodations

Disability Accommodations Statement: Any individual who qualifies for reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 should contact the instructor immediately.

Any student who receives failing grades during this course is urged to discuss this with the professor.

STUDY QUESTIONS and other class materials may be found on the class web page.

IN CLASS EXAMS: Mon Thu 17 and Mon Jul 28

FINAL EXAM:
Tuesday, Aug 5 from 12:30 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. in Merrill 255 

SEMESTER CALENDAR:

Jul 9

Classes begin

Jul 10

Last day to register

Jul 11

Withdraw with 80% tuition refund

Jul 14

Withdraw with 50% tuition refund

Jul  17

Test 1

Jul 18

Last day to drop without academic penalty

Jul 28

Test 2

Jul 24

Last day to drop passing or withdraw

Aug 5

Final Exam

 

ASSIGNMENTS:

EXAM no. 1:

Introduction to Economics, Macroeconomics, and Markets

Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Exam no. 2:

Macroeconomics: Theory, Problems, and Introduction to Classical and Keynesian models.

Chapters 8, 9, 10, 11

Final Exam:

The Depression, the Keynesian Episode, and the Supply-side Response

Chapters 11, 12

Taxes, Deficits, Debt, and Money

Chapters 13, 14

Stabilization Policy, Output, and Employment

Chapter 15

Macroeconomic Policy Today: Nationally and Globally

Chapters 16, 17

THE FINAL EXAM WILL COVER ALL NEW MATERIAL COVERED SINCE TEST 2 AS WELL AS SELECTED CHAPTERS FROM TESTS 1 AND 2.


NOTE: Other reading assignments will be announced in class and posted to the class website for downloading. Anyone who is unable to access these articles should contact the instructor well in advance of the exams in order to obtain copies of these assignments. The above reading assignments are tentative; deviations from specific readings will be made known in class and on the class web page.

Any changes in class policy or schedule will be at the discretion of the instructor.